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Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis #1 Contender Bout Being Eyed for January

(“Cowboy” Cerrone and his travel guide Filipe found more than just solace in the caves of Mount Grenidor; they found each other.)

You may or may not be aware of this, but before the UFC decided to go the route of champ vs. troll, they actually had a coaching matchup in the works for TUF 17 that would have both made sense and likely been ignored by most of the population. That matchup was between streaking lightweight contender Donald Cerrone and former WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, two 155ers who are due for a title shot and truly despise one another. Unfortunately for them, the UFC decided to take things in a different direction. Fortunately for them, it appears as if they are still destined to throw down in the near future, because according to Cerrone in an interview with the appropriately titled MMAInterviews, half of the contract has already been signed.

I’m looking forward to that fight. Hopefully December we’re gonna get it, beginning of January. My side of the deal is signed. (I’m) just waiting on him while his shoulder is rehabbed. There’s been a lot of shit talking back and forth, so it’s gonna be fun. It’s gonna be for the fans. I think it’s gonna be Fight of the Night for sure. He’s well-rounded. I think my wrestling is better than his but if we go to the ground he’s good on the ground, if we stay standing he’s good there. It’s gonna be a helluva fight. I’m packing a lunch. I’m ready for three rounds of hell. I’ll fight him on an undercard, I don’t care.

As you know, Pettis has been out of action since his beatdown of Joe Lauzon at UFC 144 mending multiple injuries, and just recently injured his shoulder in training, which likely affected the UFC’s decision to go with Bones vs. Sonnen. So the likelihood of this matchup taking place in 2012 is a longshot, but a headlining fight on a FOX or FX event in late January? Hell to the yes, Potato Nation.

(“Cowboy” Cerrone and his travel guide Filipe found more than just solace in the caves of Mount Grenidor; they found each other.)

I’m looking forward to that fight. Hopefully December we’re gonna get it, beginning of January. My side of the deal is signed. (I’m) just waiting on him while his shoulder is rehabbed. There’s been a lot of shit talking back and forth, so it’s gonna be fun. It’s gonna be for the fans. I think it’s gonna be Fight of the Night for sure. He’s well-rounded. I think my wrestling is better than his but if we go to the ground he’s good on the ground, if we stay standing he’s good there. It’s gonna be a helluva fight. I’m packing a lunch. I’m ready for three rounds of hell. I’ll fight him on an undercard, I don’t care.

Both men are more than familiar with current UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson. Cerrone has come up short twice against the champ in the days of the WEC, dropping a controversial unanimous decision to Bendo at WEC 43 and succumbing to a first round guillotine choke at WEC 48. Pettis, on the other hand, built his brand off the current champ with his unanimous decision victory at WEC 53 that included the infamous “Showtime Kick” heard round the world.

Based on the Josh Koscheck principle of losing two fights to the same champion, the Pettis matchup appears to be the more marketable matchup of the two. The same can be said if current #1 contender Nate Diaz — who handily defeated Cerrone back at UFC 141 — is able to defeat Henderson in their upcoming title fight at UFC on FOX 5. Why are we taking time to address the most marketable matchup of the two? Because you know why, that’s why.

In either case, this fight has FOTY written all over it, so perhaps we should just set politics aside for the moment and enjoy a great matchup when we see one.

With all that being said, who do you think takes this one, Potato Nation? More importantly, who would you rather see face the winner of Bendo/Diaz?

–J. Jones

Benson Henderson on UFC 151: ‘Jon Jones Got a Raw Deal’

Benson Henderson believes that for well over a month Jon Jones has been forced to carry the onus for something that wasn’t entirely his fault.Jones has never been considered a fan favorite in the UFC, but he wasn’t necessarily hated either.All of that …

Benson Henderson believes that for well over a month Jon Jones has been forced to carry the onus for something that wasn’t entirely his fault.

Jones has never been considered a fan favorite in the UFC, but he wasn’t necessarily hated either.

All of that changed on August 23.

Jones was slated to face Dan Henderson in the main event for UFC 151, but during a conference call, UFC President Dana White announced Henderson was forced to withdraw from the fight due to an injury sustained in training.

The UFC offered Jones a replacement fight with Chael Sonnen, but the UFC light heavyweight champion wasn’t interested in taking a short-notice bout. After Jones turned down the fight, the entire UFC 151 pay-per-view card was cancelled, which marked the first in UFC history.

Jones drew massive criticism from fans, peers and even White for turning down the fight. The UFC president called his young champ’s decision “selfish and disgusting.”

Henderson, the UFC lightweight champ, was recently spotted at an Arizona Diamondbacks game throwing out the first pitch. MMAFighting.com caught up with him to get his thoughts on UFC 151 and whether or not Jones was to blame for its cancellation:

Jones definitely got a raw deal. All of the onus, all of it, was put on his shoulders. Everything. What about the co-main event? What about bringing in other guys? What about the guys getting injured? There was a lot. To place everything on his shoulders, I think, was very unfair. He’s fully within his rights to turn down a fight.

Would he have won? Yeah, he probably would have won. Would it have been a smart decision to make? No, probably not. So I definitely felt bad for him.

Henderson is mainly shocked at Jones being labeled enemy No.1 for turning down a fight. UFC 151 wasn’t the first time a fighter turned down a fight, and it certainly won’t be the last.

Lyoto Machida turned down a short-notice bout with Jones in the main event of UFC 152, and fighters have been turning down bouts with Glover Teixeira left and right.

Still, Jones is the one facing hordes of criticism for refusing to risk his livelihood.

Henderson continues:

Some guys are turning down fights, short-notice fights, two week’s notice fights, eight day’s notice fights, five week’s notice fights because it’s not enough time to fully prepare. The rash of guys turning down fights, it happened before Jones. It wasn’t like it’s all of a sudden, it just happens out of nowhere. It happened before Jones decided not to fight Chael Sonnen. There were plenty of guys who turned down fights off short notice.

I think just the way it was played up, the way it was built in the media, and by certain people, it made it a very negative connotation, to where, “Oh, he turned the fight down. He ruined these fighters’ lives. He ruined all the fans and he screwed them over.” I don’t think that’s really so much the case. Everyone has their part to play. It’s not just Jones himself in there, all by himself. It always takes two to dance.

At the end of the day, fans have to realize that fighters have bills to pay. They are going to look out for their own careers in hopes of setting up a better financial future for their families.

It’s important to be exciting and put on a good show for fans, but ultimately, a fighter’s purse is determined by whether he wins or loses. With the UFC title and a plethora of high-end sponsorships, Jones has a lot going for him right now.

Why risk everything by taking a short-notice bout against a world class opponent he wasn’t even prepared for?

Henderson doesn’t see how anyone could hold a grudge against someone doing what’s best for their career:

They’re obviously doing what they think is best for their career, best for them. Can’t take anything away from that. When it comes to my career, and things I’m going to do that are best for my career, I’m going to do the same thing.

I definitely don’t begrudge anybody for [turning down a fight], whatever the case may be. You definitely always have to do what’s best for you and your career. Take care of your family, pay the bills.

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Superfights Are a Myth but Lightweights Are for Real

Few things set the MMA world abuzz quicker than talk of a super-fight. Just the thought of two dominant champions battling for supremacy pushes the sport’s fanbase into a frenzy. Debates are launched on forum boards and podcasts volley the topic during round table discussions. From all corners of the MMA universe, fans and pundits alike weigh in with their opinions.

While these fights are the stuff in which promotional dreams are made, it is also the rare occurrence where fans will invest themselves emotionally into a situation which could very well end up being nothing more than fantasy. This situation is certainly nothing new in the sport, and while the reality of these bouts happening have been few and far between, this doesn’t stop the passionate faithful from voicing their requests.

For years fans clamored to see heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko throw down with UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture or former champion Brock Lesnar, but despite serious effort, the powers that be were never able to make it happen. Despite how badly we want to see Anderson Silva square-off with Georges St. Pierre or Jon Jones, there is a good chance those matchups will never materialize. But the proposed idea of these “dream fights” are enough to rattle the foundation.

I’m just as guilty for getting jacked up for super-fights as the next person, but there is another movement happening in MMA which is guaranteed to provide a consistent flow of high-profile bouts and action-packed fights for the foreseeable future. I’m talking about the pack of elite level lightweights, and there is nothing more competitive happening in the sport than what is happening at 155 pounds. Potential super-fights are fun to think about, but there are a number of bouts already scheduled or on the horizon in the lightweight division that deserve their share of the spotlight.

The upcoming matchups aren’t just your typical divisional pictures fights. They are battles to determine who is the best lightweight fighter in the world. Where other divisions are scraping up possible contenders, the 155-pound weight class is piled up with fighters who are eager for a shot. Whether it is in the UFC or in outside organizations, over the next five months, every top lightweight in the world will step in to do their thing.

Over this time fans are going to see Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz scrap it out for the lightweight strap in December in one of the year’s most anticipated fights. They will see Strikeforce’s scrappy lightweight king Gilbert Melendez continue to strengthen his case as the best in the world as he battles No. 1 contender Pat Healy on September 29th.

Former No. 1 contender Gray Maynard will look to regain his footing atop the division when he faces Joe Lauzon at 155. Outside the Zuffa banner, Bellator’s two top lightweights Micheal Chandler and Eddie Alvarez are also both slated to return to the cage.

In addition to the matches which are already signed, fans can also look forward to several other top fighters getting back to work. While it is still yet unofficial, the red-hot Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has seemingly been successful at picking a fight with former WEC champion Anthony Pettis. Both fighters have verbally stated it is a fight they want, but nothing has been signed as of yet.

On the flip side, there are several other perennial contenders who are looking to climb their way back to the top. Following his loss to Nate Diaz in May and time off to recover from injury, Jim Miller is eager to get back to his winning ways. Miller has been a staple in the division’s upper-tier over the past two years and despite a recent rough patch, is looking to bounce back strong.

The same can be said for Clay Guida. “The Carpenter’s” heart and hectic pace earned him a place amongst the divisional best, but losses to Henderson and Maynard pushed him to the back of the line. More than the loss itself, the manner in which the Maynard fight went down in Atlantic City put a rare damper on the fan favorite.

Of course you can’t mention top lightweight fighters without bringing up Frankie Edgar. While the former champion dropped back to back title fights to Benson Henderson and has since made the drop to featherweight, a possible return to the division he once ruled isn’t out of the question. Should he lose to champion Jose Aldo in their fight later this year, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Edgar go back up.

The division presents a versatile mixture of striking, grappling and fast-paced action where fights can be finished at any moment. All of these factors combined have driven the lightweights to the top of the sport’s “must-watch” list.

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Manny Pacquiao’s Next Fight Set to C#%k Block UFC on Fox 5

Pound for pound boxing champ Manny Pacquiao‘s next fight has been scheduled for December 8th, the same night as the UFC’s next Fox network show. In the recent past when the UFC has had big shows scheduled the same night as major boxing events they’ve has hoped that earlier telecasts on would catch many viewers who were planning on watching boxing later in the evening.

Things may not have worked out that way for the UFC and this development of Pacquiao fighting on a date that the UFC had already set as a Fox event might end up taking away viewers from the MMA programming. Last May, the UFC on Fox 3 featured an exciting card headlined by a spectacular title contender’s fight between lightweights Nate Diaz and Jim Miller. The free to watch event was also followed, on pay per view, by Floyd Mayweather Jr. fighting Miguel Cotto.

The UFC’s numbers ended up going down from their prior two Fox shows, while Mayweather’s win had an excellent buy-rate on pay per view. The UFC’s “come pre-game with us before boxing,” strategy might be more successful this time around if Fox promotes the heck out of the event during football telecasts as it did last year for the Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos heavyweight title telecast.

Otherwise, the UFC had better hope that Fox is taking a qualitative and long-view of things because dropping ratings on network television are never good.

Otherwise, the UFC had better hope that Fox is taking a qualitative and long-view of things because dropping ratings on network television are never good. The UFC on Fox events have been going up against some stiff competition, however.

This next one will go against Manny Pacquiao, the third went against Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto, and their last one, the superb fourth edition, went up against the highest rated summer Olympic games in history.

Either Fox is grateful to have original programming that draws away some of those blockbusters’ audiences, or they are impatient instant gratification types. Time will tell.

The UFC on Fox 5 will feature a lightweight title fight between champion Benson Henderson and challenger Nate Diaz. Pacqiuao will likely fight either Juan Manuel Marquez for a fourth time or Timothy Bradley for a second.

Marquez is a Mexican star who has fought Pac-Man more closely and competitively than anyone in the last eight years and is also perennially among the top 3-5 pound for pound boxers in the world. Bradley is a champion and warrior who went up in weight to fight Pacquiao and got thoroughly out-classed and beaten before getting a controversial gift decision from the judges.

One of these fights would be infinitely more compelling to watch than the other. Which one do you think the UFC would rather go up against, nation?

– Elias Cepeda

Was Taking the Aldo Fight a Smart Move for Frankie Edgar?

Once again another injury has plagued a main-event fight and taken Erik Koch out of his title fight with Jose Aldo for the Featherweight championship. Stepping in to take his place is none other than former UFC Lightweight champion, Frankie Edgar. Edga…

Edgar and title fights have been hand in hand these past years, involving the New Jersey native in the past six title fights in the Lightweight division. Between a draw and rematches, Edgar has decided to move down to 145 in hopes of finding new success. It is a weight class many feel that is more fit for the size of Edgar, but because of his success at Lightweight, not much evidence was being shown that a move down was necessary.

After losing his past two fights to now current Lightweight Champion, Benson Henderson, he will venture down to possibly attain a second UFC title in his career. Edgar was not originally slated to get an immediate title shot, but due to Koch’s injury, an opportunity has presented itself.

The question is, was taking the immediate title shot the best decision?

Edgar lost his last fight with Bendo mid-August and will now be fighting mid-October. Roughly two months gives him a decent amount of time, but he has had quite a bit more time for camp for all but one of each of his fights in his career.

The last time he had this short of turnaround was after his first pro fight. Now taking on one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world in a new weight class on a “short” notice, it leaves to question if it will be adequate time to prepare for such a dangerous opponent.

Jose Aldo has been winning dominantly in his weight class, and has shown a ferocity that is something to admire. Edgar has shown heart and speed in his underdog story of a career, and managed to come out on top most of the time. But Edgar’s speed was one advantage he had in the lightweight division; his ability to get in and get out and foot movement helped him deal with bigger and stronger opponents.

Now he faces a man who possesses the same advantage, speed and movement. Styles make fights, and for Edgar, he may be walking into a fight where his advantages are met, or even surpassed.

On the other hand, Edgar dropping in weight could also produce an even quicker fighter, who then may be able to avoid Aldo and his deadly leg kicks and other Muay Thai strikes. On top of that, Aldo is coming off an injury, which could work in favor of Edgar’s chances.

Edgar has shown that even after taking a beating, he can push himself through it and fight to the end, and that may be what wins him this fight. Aldo has had some issues with weight cutting, and Edgar will dictate this fight if Aldo’s tank doesn’t stand up to his. Edgar has the ability to move and strike at the same pace from the first round to the fifth, and if he can survive the onslaught of Aldo, he has a good chance of winning.

The opportunity to challenge oneself and get a crack at a new title is a great thing, and Edgar has the chance to put himself back into the top tier of the pound-for-pound greats. If he can win this fight, he becomes known as one of the best P4P fighters, and people will excuse any losses at Lightweight using the logic of Edgar now being at the weight class he was meant to be fighting at. He then has the opportunity to take on other big-name fighters that will help boost his stats if he can manage to stay on top.

However, the danger of taking this fight is the other side of the coin. If Edgar loses his fight with Aldo, it could do a lot of harm to his career. He is not in any danger of being cut, but regardless if you think he won his fights with Bendo or not, he still will be on a three-fight losing streak. After that, he will need to fight a few more people in hopes of getting back to a title shot.

If he loses along that path, it may be a while, if ever, we see him back in a title shot. Edgar is open to big fights at either Featherweight or Lightweight, which will help counter any losses he takes, but he will only be given big-fights if he can keep winning.

Losing to Aldo doesn’t ruin his career, but it certainly is a big setback. Yes, he would have lost to one of the P4P best in his home country, but if he gets finished by Aldo, who knows that the UFC will want to do as far as getting Edgar back into a shot in a timely manner?

While his confidence is high, and he possesses the ability to win this fight; taking on a fighter like Jose Aldo in less than two months of training could put a mark on your record that could take some work to erase.

Time will tell if taking the fight was a big mistake, or the greatest decision Frankie Edgar ever made. Aldo will present a big problem for him, but then again, Edgar is “The Answer” after all.

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[Exclusive] Joe Lauzon Says he Asked For Maynard Fight

By Elias Cepeda

Being proactive paid off for Joe Lauzon last week. The UFC lightweight contender signed on to fight Gray Maynard and says he was the one pushing for the tough match up.

“I saw Gray say in an interview that he wanted to coach the next season of TUF against Nate Diaz,” Joe explains.

“He’s banking on Diaz beating [Ben] Henderson [when the two face off for Henderson’s title] and wants that title shot and, I guess, a third fight between him and Nate. So I contacted [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva and said that I thought Gray and I could be a cool angle as coaches of TUF. They didn’t do that but later I got a call asking if I wanted to fight Gray on December 29th. Its on the main card of a huge card.”

Lauzon is coming off of a record-setting submission of the night and fight of the night performance in beating Jamie Varner earlier this month. Maynard is coming off of a controversially-close split decision win over Clay Guida. Before that, Maynard fought then-champion Frankie Edgar twice in a row, first drawing with him and then losing via TKO.

Lauzon doesn’t know if a win over Maynard would put him in the #1 contender’s spot for the lightweight title for certain, but he says it would be a “step in the right direction.” “Gray is a monster. He’s only lost to Frankie. He’s super tough. Me beating Gray would make a big statement because he’s smashed everyone except for the champ at the time. Even in those fights he had the champ hurt badly at times,” Lauzon says.

By Elias Cepeda

Being proactive paid off for Joe Lauzon last week. The UFC lightweight contender signed on to fight Gray Maynard and says he was the one pushing for the tough match up.

“I saw Gray say in an interview that he wanted to coach the next season of TUF against Nate Diaz,” Joe explains.

The last time Lauzon was in a fight that appeared to have immediate title shot implications was back in 2008 when he fought, and lost to, Kenny Florian. Lauzon says that he’s a different fighter than the kid that lost to the future hall of famer Florian over four years ago.

“I’ve grown so much since then,” he says.

“I’m a hundred times stronger now than I was then. At that time I hadn’t touched weights at all. The last couple of years I’ve been much more serious about strength and conditioning. My boxing has gotten much better…I was really just a grappler then. Now I’m much more comfortable on my feet. My defense is better. I’m quicker. And I love Jiu Jitsu and so am constantly improving that.”

Perhaps most important, according to Lauzon, is his improved mental state. Though he’s been fighting since he was a teenager, Joe says that he’s only now really begun to enjoy himself during fights.

“My last fight was the first fight where I really had fun,” he says. “I was enjoying every second of that fight. That was a big change for me, mentally.”

Lauzon says that he’s given a sore elbow time to heal over the past three to four weeks and but that soon he will begin training for the Maynard fight, which is still a while off. The outspoken fighter won’t offer an opinion on whether or not he feels Maynard deserved the decision win in his last fight against Guida – saying he hasn’t watched it closely enough – but simply says that if fighters let fights go to the judges, they never really have anyone to blame if things don’t go their way.

Because of his nearly flawless record and championship-level experience, many observers will no doubt have Maynard picked as a solid favorite over Lauzon. The Massachussets native readily admits he faces a big challenge against Maynard.

“Back in the [TUF 5] house we used to even joke with Gray because he was the number one pick, had the pedigree and all that. We’d say that Gray Maynard pisses excellence,” Lauzon says with a laugh.

“I also know that I probably can’t get hit as often by Gray as I did by Varner. Jamie is probably a better boxer than Gray but Gray probably has more power.”

That said, Lauzon is confident that he will have the skills to best Maynard on the feet or on the ground. “I’m very lucky that I’m comfortable no matter where I go in this fight,” Lauzon says.

“I really don’t think Gray wants to take me down and sit in my guard. I think I’m a little bit too crafty off of my back, too quick with submissions and sweeps. Like most of his other fights, he will probably want to stand and box. It is probably going to be a kickboxing match and, though I’ve got to be careful, I can do well there. I’ve gotta bring it to him.”